Culture Emergent in Occupation

Abstract

Culture influences occupation as well as perceptions of health, illness, and disability. Therapists are aware of the need to address culture in interventions. However, definitions of culture can be unclear, providing little guidance to therapists about how to recognize its effects in therapeutic encounters. A pragmatic definition of culture as emergent in everyday interactions of individuals encourages reconsideration of the main elements of culture, that it is learned, shared, patterned, evaluative, and persistent but changeable. Understanding of culture as emergent in interaction, including therapeutic intervention, suggests three important characteristics that therapists can cultivate to enhance clinical encounters: careful attention, active curiosity, and self-reflection and evaluation.

Cultural competence: Development of a conceptual framework

“…The construct of cultural competence has received much attention in the psychological [1,2]; rehabilitation [3][4][5]; nursing [6][7][8]; and public health, educational and health professions literature [9,10], due in part to the increased diversity of the population in developed countries. In the USA, the most recent census figures suggest that about 30% of the population is of non-European Caucasian descent and that people of colour are becoming numerical majorities in some of the largest cities [11].…”

Course redesign to promote local and global experiential learning about human occupation: Description and evaluation of a pilot effort

“…Cultural competence -or the idea that practitioners must be aware of and open to their clients' cultural backgrounds -has been a primary rationale for globalising occupational therapy education 26,27 . Although its importance is noted 28,29 , there is a lack of attention to the accompanying need for cultural competence between occupational therapists. Whereas parity in English and non-English definitions of occupational therapy constructs 30 helps facilitate inter-therapist cultural competence, basic opportunities to talk with future professionals from other cultures is not a standard part of occupational therapy curricula.…”

Three Views of Artful Practice in Psychosocial Occupational Therapy

“…To design therapeutic interventions that promote meaningful occupational roles and experiences, therapists must reflect on their patients' cultural views and experiences (Bonder, Martin, & Miracle, 2004;Odawara, 2005). They must also be knowledgeable about culturally relevant conceptual models of occupation on which to base their clinical interventions (Iwama, 2003(Iwama, , 2006.…”

“…They must also be knowledgeable about culturally relevant conceptual models of occupation on which to base their clinical interventions (Iwama, 2003(Iwama, , 2006. Therapists can develop their cultural sensitivity by cultivating careful attention on, active curiosity about, and self-reflection on the therapeutic encounter (Bonder et al, 2004).…”